Dell partnering up with Baidu to produce tablets, phones

Dell confirmed on Tuesday its plans to work with Chinese search engine Baidu to develop tablets and smartphones for the newly-announced forked version of Google's Android mobile operating system, called Baidu Yi.

Baidu, which has risen to become the sixth most-visited site according to Alexa, announced its Android spinoff in Beijing last week. Baidu Yi will replace Google's apps with in-house developed alternatives that target the Chinese market.

Reuters reports that Dell has quickly pledged its support for Baidu's efforts, especially as they relate to tablets.

"We have a partnership with Baidu and you know we have the Streak 5 tablet, so the partnership will be in that space," said a Dell spokeswoman.

The 5-inch hybrid tablet/smartphone was discontinued in the U.S. in August after a self-declared "great ride."

The company also indicated it will cooperate with Baidu on mobile handsets. But, it will likely face stiffer competition from Apple beginning this fall, as the Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker is expected to begin offering its popular handset on both China Mobile and China Telecom in addition to its original partner China Unicom.

Baidu Yi will feature a self-developed Maps app, a Google Places rival, an iBooks-like ebook reader and a custom music player. Its current Android apps, such as a Chinese character input tool, will also ship bundled with new devices.

"I don't think Baidu is targeting the low-end segment of the market, if they are there are plenty of local Chinese vendors they can work with...This could mean that Baidu may have ambitions for the international market because Dell is an international brand which they can leverage," said Shanghai-based Gartner research director Sandy Shen.

Dell did not state when the first devices from its partnership with Baidu would reach the market, but Chinese media have cited sources who claim they could arrive as early as November. The partnership could be a reaction to Google's recent decision to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion and get more directly involved in the hardware side of the industry.

The PC and mobile industries are currently in the midst of a significant shake-up as companies adjust their alliances and enter and exit markets. Nokia is set to release its first Windows Phone 7 devices from its partnership with Microsoft later this year, while Hewlett-Packard has killed off its webOS hardware division and is looking into spinning off or selling its PC business.

It's so crazy how quickly the "non-Apple" side of mobile tech is changing and "borrowing" ideas from Apple. Seems like knee-jerk reactions. Meanwhile Apple continues to cruise along at its own pace, not too worried about what's happening around it. They compete with themselves.

It's so crazy how quickly the "non-Apple" side of mobile tech is changing and "borrowing" ideas from Apple. Seems like knee-jerk reactions. Meanwhile Apple continues to cruise along at its own pace, not too worried about what's happening around it. They compete with themselves.

So.. why not partner with ZTE if they want to sell in China. Dell does not even register on the radar over there.

Keep in mind Lenovo is dominating in the business world here in US after buying IBM. Why not have a fellow Chinese company make your phones and take over the US market while creating a brand name at the same time. Seems very un-chinese to me.

So.. why not partner with ZTE if they want to sell in China. Dell does not even register on the radar over there.

Keep in mind Lenovo is dominating in the business world here in US after buying IBM. Why not have a fellow Chinese company make your phones and take over the US market while creating a brand name at the same time. Seems very un-chinese to me.

I'll go call the solicitor. Might as well get a head start, because Apple sure as hell will

In 2011, given all the admirable things that the country has achieved, you'd think that a large, well-known, successful Chinese company would actually want to invest in helping shake off the image that they belong to a country and a business culture that just copies stuff. They certainly have the resources and the talent.

What a sad state of affairs.

Tim Cook is gay, believes in climate change, and cares deeply about racial equality. Deal with it (and please spare us if you can't).

In 2011, given all the admirable things that the country has achieved, you'd think that a large, well-known, successful Chinese company would actually want to invest in helping shake off the image that they belong to a country and a business culture that just copies stuff. They certainly have the resources and the talent.

Those Baidu Android screenshots so some really cool interface innovations!

* The wooden bookshelves

Aldiko and other eReaders had this "innovation" long before apple adopted it.

Quote:

* The way the CD covers kind of “flow” in perspective.

Apple LOST a lawsuit over cover-flow. Clearly, they're not the inventors of it.

Quote:

I’m glad Android is here so that companies can truly innovate and not have to clone Apple. Let’s hope Baidu does go international with this exciting UI!

I'm so glad apple is here so that it can truly "innovate" and not have to adopt existing tech.

I mean, without apple, how could we ever have:
-folders
-multi-tasking other than just "keep everything running" (hint, android has save state, most apps use it, though Apple is a bit more restrictive in what it allows)
-Notifications that don't suck, such as an un-obtrusive pull down window
-weather widgets
-OTA updates
-etc.

The difference is, I'm not claiming that Apple is simply "copying" things here and that this is somehow wrong. They're adopting the popular tech their competitors use just like every other company in the history of competition. No company is an island. While apple might've come up with these things eventually, do you really think the growing popularity of Android had NOTHING to do with them looking and saying "how can we get some of those features and incorporate them into our OS?"

Apple has brought some true innovation to the tech world. But so have other companies. To deny that is to be blind

When did Aldiko have this "innovation"? They were founded in 2009. The iBooks store was introduced in January 2010.

Aldiko's bookstore, that I installed on my Droid the FIRST DAY I got it, had the books lined up on a bookshelf. If you missed it, the droid came out before iOS4 was announced. The Aldiko shelf is how it displayed images, from the start (or at least from when i first installed it)

But having Books on a BOOKSHELF is kinda obvious, so even IF apple was the first one to do it, it's still a "well duh" moment. So, Aldiko had it FIRST, for what that matters.

It doesn't matter to me, but apparently people on this site feel that Apple is somehow less cool if they adopt ideas from others. to me, that just makes them, you know, a tech company.

Aldiko's bookstore, that I installed on my Droid the FIRST DAY I got it, had the books lined up on a bookshelf. If you missed it, the droid came out before iOS4 was announced. The Aldiko shelf is how it displayed images, from the start (or at least from when i first installed it)

But having Books on a BOOKSHELF is kinda obvious, so even IF apple was the first one to do it, it's still a "well duh" moment. So, Aldiko had it FIRST, for what that matters.

It doesn't matter to me, but apparently people on this site feel that Apple is somehow less cool if they adopt ideas from others. to me, that just makes them, you know, a tech company.

You really didn't answer my question.

Tim Cook is gay, believes in climate change, and cares deeply about racial equality. Deal with it (and please spare us if you can't).

Books on a Bookshelf is a "duh" thing. Like I said in my ORIGINAL POST. I NEVER claimed that Aldiko invented the idea. I said "Aldiko and OTHER EREADERS" had this before Apple came out with iBooks. I used Aldiko because it was the app I was familiar with, the one I downloaded on my Droid. I used my ipod touch for music and as an organizer, not as a reader (still bought physical books at that time)

Seriously. Apple adopting the ideas of others is not some big scandal that you have to fight against. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with them doing this. That's how companies work, and have worked since people first started bartering things in a market.

The point of my post was to point out the flaw in the argument that Apple somehow "came up" with the idea of books on a bookshelf. Even if I USED that app you listed, the argument would be EXACTLY the same.

Books on a Bookshelf is a "duh" thing. Like I said in my ORIGINAL POST. I NEVER claimed that Aldiko invented the idea. I said "Aldiko and OTHER EREADERS" had this before Apple came out with iBooks. I used Aldiko because it was the app I was familiar with, the one I downloaded on my Droid. I used my ipod touch for music and as an organizer, not as a reader (still bought physical books at that time)

Seriously. Apple adopting the ideas of others is not some big scandal that you have to fight against. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with them doing this. That's how companies work, and have worked since people first started bartering things in a market.

The point of my post was to point out the flaw in the argument that Apple somehow "came up" with the idea of books on a bookshelf. Even if I USED that app you listed, the argument would be EXACTLY the same.

Fair enough.

Tim Cook is gay, believes in climate change, and cares deeply about racial equality. Deal with it (and please spare us if you can't).

Aldiko's bookstore, that I installed on my Droid the FIRST DAY I got it, had the books lined up on a bookshelf. If you missed it, the droid came out before iOS4 was announced. The Aldiko shelf is how it displayed images, from the start (or at least from when i first installed it)

But having Books on a BOOKSHELF is kinda obvious, so even IF apple was the first one to do it, it's still a "well duh" moment. So, Aldiko had it FIRST, for what that matters.

It doesn't matter to me, but apparently people on this site feel that Apple is somehow less cool if they adopt ideas from others. to me, that just makes them, you know, a tech company.

Actually, a program called Delicious Library had this look long ago. (probably 10 years ago) It was a way to keep track of your books, CD's, and Dvd's. In fact they accused Apple of copying them, and were threatening to sue. Don't remember where that went.

Still waiting for my hoverboard At least we got the Star Trek PADD ahead of expectations (like, by a few hundred years). Looks like microelectronics is a bit easier than manipulating gravity and making mini-fusion reactors powered by household garbage.

That said, the next Steve Jobs of physics and energy is out there somewhere. And if not for people like Steve Jobs, Woz and his team, we may never have had the iPad for another hundred years.

Actually, a program called Delicious Library had this look long ago. (probably 10 years ago) It was a way to keep track of your books, CD's, and Dvd's. In fact they accused Apple of copying them, and were threatening to sue. Don't remember where that went.

Seriously. Apple adopting the ideas of others is not some big scandal that you have to fight against. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with them doing this. That's how companies work, and have worked since people first started bartering things in a market.

Word.

It is absolutely OK for companies to be inspired by other companies....in fact it is perfectly normal...especially when company A is a game changer and company B-Z have to compete in this new game.